By Fire and Water
by Sailor Xena
Summary: It has been seventeen years since the Warring Century ended, and war is brewing again. Avatar Aang is now married and has a son and he also has the perfect, or rather the only, solution to end the hostility among the nations. [Name subject to change]
1. Prologue

** By Fire and Water**

**Prologue**

I have been told that many years ago, in the reign of my great-great-grandfather, a war began. We, the Fire Nation, are secretly proud that we instigated the war. The Warring Century. That's what it is called. That is what the latest books call it. The Warring Century. In our Nation, the books made talk about how my great-great-grandfather was brave, courageous, and daring in starting the war. The also talk of how my father was brave, courageous, and sensible in ending it, for it was no longer worth waging war on the other nations- who had been then united against us- when we were clearly losing.

On the day the war ended, I was not yet born. My father (he was eighteen at the time) had not yet married my mother, my aunt was not yet dead, and nor was my grandfather.

On the day the war ended, the most sacred human on this planet, the Avatar himself, marched into our capital, with flags flying with no symbols on them. The Avatar met with my grandfather on the steps of our palace, and my grandfather told him "Avatar Aang, welcome to our capital city. We have long awaited you," and the Avatar said "I have long awaited our negotiations." My grandfather said "Avatar, we did not expect negotiations. We thought you would join us."

The Avatar said calmly "I would not join the shadows to destroy the light, for it is light from which shadows are born." He meant, of course, that he was there to restore balance to the four nations, because each depended on the others. "Then Avatar, there will be no more talking. At least, not for you."

At that moment, my grandfather, the Fire Lord, meant to kill the Avatar with Fire-Bending. The Avatar was helpless, for he was wearing the stiff ceremonial robes of the Element- name of the ultimate nation that was made up by the three other nations- and holding a symbol-less flag. Suddenly, a blast of fire intervened, sending the Fire Lord's flame in a different direction.

The exiled son of the Fire Lord had saved the life of the Avatar. "Father," my father said, "the war is over. So is your reign." That day, the flames of war were doused all over the world. Ambassadors from each of the nations came and signed the Peace Treaty that had been written by the Avatar himself.

The Ambassadors from the Water Tribes, Lady Katara, her brother, Lord Sokka, and his wife, Princess Yue, wished to help to remake friendships. The Ambassadors from the Earth Kingdom, Lady Suki, and the Earth King, wanted to resume trade. And the Ambassadors of the Air Nomads were the Avatar, and his bride, a mysterious woman that had been discovered in the Southern Air Temple, teaching herself how to bend air. They wanted simply to rebuild their nation and raise their infant son in peace.

Three days after the "fall" of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai was given a fair trial, found guilty, and executed the next day- by his own request. A month later, my father became Fire Lord Zuko, married my mother not long afterward, and was given his first son one year later. When I was nearly two years old, my aunt, Princess Azula, was found guilty of attempting to assassinate my father and myself, and reopen all the old wounds the Warring Century had left behind, and executed- by her own request.

The common people say that Azula was a witch, and she spoke to the demons in the dead shadows. But some say that the Witch was right. Just as fire consumes all around it, the Fire Nation should consume the nations, and become the Fire Empire. The Earth Kingdom pretends that the hostility is not there. The Air Nomads, well, there are only three of them left, so they cannot afford to be killed in war. The Water Nation is angry. Angry that the Fire Nation has broken the sacred contract signed seventeen years ago, almost to the day. War is brewing again. I, as the only son of the Fire Lord, will have to wage war if my father starts it. I cannot refuse to fight. I do not wish to be exiled. I do not want my heart to blacken deeper.


	2. Chapter 1

** By Fire and Water**

**Chapter One**

"Aang, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"…"

"Aang!"

"Don't worry Katara, everything's going to be great." Aang slipped his shoes on. "You ready to go?"

"Sure." Katara replied.

They began walking down the corridors, toward the hall where the Council of Five was about to meet. They met few people on their way there.

"Aang, I have to say it." Katara closed the customary three foot gap between them. "I think you're making a mistake. Sokka and Yue are going to be completely against the idea."

"I know that."

"Aang, you probably don't know a whole lot about how a loveless marriage ruins peoples lives, but-"

"Katara," He stepped closer to her. "nobody knows better than me." Aang lifted a hand to touch her cheek.

"Aang." She grabbed his hand and kept him from touching her cheek, avoiding his eyes. "You're the Avatar."

They heard footsteps. Katara quickly backed away three feet and they resumed walking. "Aang! There you are!" A beautiful woman with long, black hair that was swept up into a simple but elegant hairstyle wearing the robes of the Air Nomads approached them. "Everyone else is ready. Oh, how wonderful to see you again, Lady Katara." She nodded at Katara.

"Milady." Katara bowed.

"Who did the Earth Kingdom send, Sora?" Aang began walking alongside his wife, and Katara fell into pace behind them.

"They sent Suki. The Earth King would have come, but his wife is sick."

"Wasn't she about to have a child?"

"Yes." Sora's gaze fell to the floor. "The infant princess was lost in childbirth, and now the queen fights infection."

"Such dark times." Aang muttered.

They rounded the corner and came to two huge wooden doors that were already open. At the other end of the hall, there was a large table with five chairs placed behind it. Throughout the hall, there were hundreds of chairs, set up in many rows.

Aang briskly walked the distance to the table, and took the seat in the center. Sora to the seat to his right, Katara to his left, Suki next to Katara, and Fire Lord Zuko took the seat next to Sora. The hall grew quiet almost immediately.

"The Council of Five is begun. Lady Sora, would you state the matter at hand?" Aang said in a very official tone.

Sora stood up and announced in a voice loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear "There are some in the Fire Nation who believe that the War should not have ended the way it did. Their hostile intentions towards the other nations have led the Water Tribes to become angry. If the Fire Nation continues to act in this way, then the Treaty of the Element will shatter, and we will once again fall into endless war." Sora sat down again.

Now Zuko stood. "I do not support these ideas. These whisperers of war were supporters of the late Princess Azula. I will not allow war in my nation. Not during my reign. I am confident in any path that will lead us back to the peace that we've enjoyed for the better part of seventeen years. And so I shall abide by anything that Avatar Aang says."

When Zuko sat down, Aang stared at the stone table before him, lost in his own thoughts. He heard everything that was being said around him, but now his eyes were glassed over.

"Aang!"

'I gave her up. I gave her up.'

"Aang, listen to me!"

'I gave her up. I gave up love. Happiness. And now I'm going to make someone else do that. At least I had a choice. Why am I here? I don't belong here. I don't belong in this society where Katara can't walk beside me. Where I can't address her as simply 'Katara.'

"Avatar Aang?" asked Katara. Aang was snapped suddenly back to the present. Everyone was staring at him. "Avatar, are you all right?" She whispered.

"What-? Oh, yes, of course, I'm so sorry. ahem" Aang pushed back his chair and stood up. He'd been there barely ten minutes, and it already felt like hours. He'd never been good with long debates and discussions. "I have considered this dispute between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes, and the best solution I believe," _'I can't be doing this. This is somebody else, this isn't me! _"is to, um…" He coughed slightly. _What else can I do? _"is to unite these two nations," next to him, Katara passed a hand over her eyes, cleverly making it look like there was a bug of sorts flying into her face. "in marriage. In one year's time, Prince Notan, of the Fire Nation, and Princess Suteki, of the Water Tribes, will wed. Do the people of these two nations accept this council ?"

"We do." The assembly answered in unison.

"Very well." Aang sat back in chair and rubbed his temples.

Suki got up and rapped on stone table with a short wooden scepter. "Let it be proclaimed that Princess Suteki of the Water Tribes is as of now betrothed to Prince Notan of the Fire Nation. As is customary, the said princess will now reside in the court of her betrothed and will live in this palace for the next year, at which time they will be married." Scribes sitting along the walls were each copying down the official verdict. Whatever the Avatar suggested was almost always taken as the ruling, but every once in a while, there was a compromise somewhere along the way and the verdict came out differently.

Aang sighed almost silently. "The Council of Five is dismissed."

As everyone filtered out of the hall, Sora put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe that it was the right thing to do." Then she was called off by some ambassadors who needed to discuss something with her.

Suki smiled at him, but then her smiled faded and she turned and hurried away. Katara did not get up from her chair, and was making a conscious effort to avoid looking at him.

"Avatar Aang," Zuko bowed. "I believe you made a wise decision."

"Thank you. I do not know if it was as wise as you all think."

"I know that my son will be honored to carry out the duty that the Avatar has given him."

Aang opened his mouth to answer, but then he caught sight of someone behind Zuko and had to excuse himself.

"Lord Sokka." Aang extended his hand, but Sokka did not take it.

"Aang," Sokka hissed at him. "How could you do this?"

"Sokka, I-"

"You destroyed Katara, and now you're going to destroy my daughter, too?!"

"Sokka!" Aang grabbed his shoulder. "Sokka, I regret ever thinking of this, and please know that if I could change any of it- all of it, I would." He told his old friend in a low voice so that no one would hear them talking to one another so casually. "But I can't. What's done is done. I can only hope that this will keep war at bay for even just a moment more. Now please," He let his hand drop to its previous position. "no more anger."

Sokka took his hand in a brotherly embrace. "No more anger."

Still at the table, Katara's eyes filled with silvery tears. "No more anger." she whispered to herself. "Only heartbreak."


	3. Chapter 2

**By Fire and Water**

**Chapter Two**

"Sign here." instructed Aang. Zuko signed at the bottom of the scroll, then passed the calligraphy pen to Sokka. "Good. It's all settled then." Suki rolled up the scroll and left to take it to put it in the Archives. The three of them started towards the Entrance Hall, where Sora and her son were waiting. "So I'll be back in a month to make sure all is going as planned." Aang told them. "And I'm leaving my son here to give counsel to the two betrothed."

"He'll be treated as royalty." Zuko assured him.

In the Entrance Hall, Aang and Sora said goodbye to their son, Kushin. Kushin was seventeen, almost eighteen. He was extremely skilled in bending his element, and had a certain knack for trouble, just as his father once did. But he hid it, just as his father did now, behind walls made of emotionless stones. He looked just like Aang, but for his blue eyes, inherited from his mother.

After saying their goodbyes to their friends in the hall with them, Aang motioned for Kushin to follow them outside. On the steps of the palace, Aang summoned Appa with the whistle he'd bought so many years ago at that market place. Momo was curled up somewhere among the luggage on his back.

"Now, you need to be careful. The Fire Nation is full of people who would wish to harm you." cautioned Sora.

"I should stay close to the Fire Lord, then?"

"No. Don't avoid him, but do not spend an excessive amount of time with him." Aang told him, helping Sora climb aboard. "If someone is going to be daring enough to harm the Avatar's son, then they'll try to do away with the Fire Lord as well. Instead of striking twice, kill two birds with one stone. Understand?"

"Yes Father."

Aang put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Be mindful of all around you. This is a perfect opportunity to learn about the element of Fire, and the element of politics." Aang smiled.

"I will serve you well." promised Kushin.

"I know you will." Aang assured him. He climbed up next to Sora and took the reins. Momo flew down and perched on Kushin's shoulder. "It looks like Momo's decided where he'll stay."

"Father, you take him." Kushin held Momo out. "He's been your companion since childhood."

"And now he'll be yours." Aang told him, smiling. "You'll find he's very wise. Perhaps even wiser than me. Appa, yip-yip!"

Kushin laughed. Maybe his father still had a bit of his old self behind the Avatar mask.

"Take care!" Sora shouted down at him.

He waved at them as they soared off, soon no more than a speck on the horizon. "Well Momo," He said, scratching the lemur behind his ears, "looks like we've got a long month ahead of us." Momo clicked his tongue, as if agreeing with him. Kushin chuckled. "Come on. It looks like it's going to rain."


	4. Chapter 3

**By Fire and Water**

**Chapter Three**

It was cold. That's all she could think about. It was cold.

It was cold at home, too, but not like this. At home, she loved the cold. But here, it was all that she hated. It was despair, it was fear, it was loneliness, sadness, and weakness.

She should have run away. Damn her parents for raising her right. Damn them for not spoiling her. Damn them for making her the kind of girl who would go through with this even if it destroyed her, because the lives of others depended on it.

Damn the Fire Nation for building this 'palace.' Did they have to make it so cold?

At least she wouldn't be disturbed. The Fire Lord seemed to understand how she felt, and so he gave her a room overlooking the garden, in the most secluded area of the palace. Thank the Spirits for that.

She looked out the huge window, at the stars. _Where is the Avatar? _She thought. _Why isn't he here to watch his terrible plan play out?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kushin rose with the sun. He had not gotten much sleep- the palace was far too cold. But he couldn't let that hold him back at all.

As he dressed, he thought about all the things he should have asked his father about before he left. _Why couldn't _he _stay here? Why didn't he stay to watch his stupid idea run its course?_ Kushin respected his father, but wished that Aang had not sacrificed his entire self to the traditions and laws of the old world.

Suddenly, something forced a sack over his head. Kushin fell to the floor, whacking his elbow off a small table. For a moment, he thought that his and his parents' worst fears had been realized, but then whatever forced the sack over his head let go.

"What in all the-" Kushin got the sack off his head. "MOMO!" The lemur just sat on his chest and blinked at him. "Do you honestly want to kill me?"

Momo clicked his tongue.

"Oh, yes, of course, thank you." Kushin grumbled as he got to his feet. "You're a wonderful companion. No wonder my father entrusted you with me."

The lemur assassin screeched.

"I'm sorry. No wonder my father entrusted _me_ with _you_."

Momo climbed up his sleeve and settled on his shoulder. "Time to put on the Ambassador Mask."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ceremony of the engagement vows was over quickly. It was basically just getting the two betrothed to swear on their lives and nations that they would not refuse this duty, or run off, or anything that would result in the annulment of the engagement.

Many members of the court were in attendance- not because it was in any way interesting or inspiring, but rather because it was a historical event, and they just wanted to be able to say that they were there.

"They don't look very happy." A lady whispered behind her fan to a woman next to her.

"Well, it's not as if they fell in love. They've never even met one another." She whispered back.

"The Prince at least looks as he's all right with this."

"But she looks miserable. Where are her parents? She looks like child."

"They're at the North Pole."

"They just left her here?"

"Yes. She really does look like a child." They paused. If someone heard them, they'd be in a lot of trouble.

"She's only fifteen, you know."

"Fifteen? She _is_ a child."

"Hush, this is the most interesting part."

The Fire Lord presented the two betrothed to the congregation, who bowed. The ceremony was over.

The Fire Lord started towards the doorway. Lady Hikari, his wife, followed him into the Banquet Hall, where a feast was prepared as a celebration.

Noticed by none of the crowd- except one- Princess Suteki slipped outside.

"Princess!" Prince Notan called after her. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, then disappeared into the garden maze made of seven-foot-tall hedges. Notan followed her.

Suteki lifted the skirt of her dress and ran faster. She kept hitting dead ends. She could hear that fool of a prince trying to catch up to her.

Curse it all. Another dead end. Suteki wheeled round, and went back to where the path split, taking the alternative this time. As she came around the corner, she smashed into someone, sending them falling down in different directions, both landing flat on their backs.

The man got up quickly and helped her up. For a split-second, she was too disoriented to realize just who he was. But then she saw the sun glancing off his shaved head, saw the arrow tattoo, the robes, and she recognized him.

"Kushin!" She laughed. "Lord Kushin." She corrected herself. "I have not seen you since we were children."

"You are certainly no child now."

"Oh, indeed I am. But you are not."

"You jest. I hide it well in this graying body."

"You're not graying." She smiled.

"Ah, but how would tell? I have no hair."

"Then how can you tell?"

"Oh, you defeat me utterly." He swept her a deep bow, so deep as to be silly.

Suteki smiled wider. "It is wonderful to see such a familiar face."

"Princess Suteki?" Notan came around the corner.

Kushin's friendly smile instantly transformed itself into a cordial one. "Prince Notan." He bowed.

"Please, address me as Notan, Lord Kushin." He bowed as well.

"Then I insist you call me Kushin. Both of you." Kushin bowed again, forcing Suteki to stifle a laugh. He turned to her. "Would you, Princess?"

She knew this game. He had acted like this as a child. He would start the game of silliness, then rope everyone into it. They would have no choice but to comply, because doing otherwise would make them seem rude, and being thought of as rude is much worse than being thought of as silly. He was very clever when it came to being silly. "Lord Kushin- Suteki, please."

"Kushin." He corrected her.

"Lord- I mean, Kushin, is it not rude to correct the Princess?"

"Prince, please do call me Suteki."

"If you shall call me Notan."

"Oh, I cannot."

"Why not?" They were all fighting an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"Because then every time I shall call you Notan, I shall remember this conversation and break out in this unseemly laughter." They all burst out laughing, sinking onto a stone bench.

Once they'd calmed down, Kushin stood up and faced them. "Well," He grinned. "That was certainly easy. Sometimes I truly amaze myself."

"What did you do?" Notan raised an eyebrow.

"I got you two laughing together." Kushin whistled, and a black and white lemur glided after him as he left them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So there you have it. Chapter Four. Please review and let me know whatcha think, because I feel like nobody's reviewing. And it makes me sad. I'm not trying to complain, really, I'm not!

And check out my other stories too please! I worked really hard on them!


End file.
